


Two Weeks

by Mandergee



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: F/M, Friendship, Spoilers for Season 2 finale, but oh god I don't know what I'm doing, hint of Philinda
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-14
Updated: 2015-05-14
Packaged: 2018-03-30 11:11:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 708
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3934645
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mandergee/pseuds/Mandergee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She'd made the request he'd never imagined she'd make...and the time finally came for Melinda May to take her leave.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Two Weeks

**Author's Note:**

> So, yeah, spoilers for the finale.
> 
> Just a cute, simple, little piece to fulfill the need I have for some sort of...oh, who knows? This finale left me all sorts of unsure about my feelings. About everything. But I'm sure you all understand.

"So you're leaving."

"Two weeks. Can I trust you to stay out of trouble for two weeks?" May leaned against the doorframe, duffel at her feet as she watched him struggle to open a jar of olives with his remaining hand, bracing it in the crook of his right elbow. "Need help?"

“Eventually I'm going to have to learn how to do without it," Coulson replied, but the struggle soon became enough that he looked up with a resigned sigh and placed the jar on the desk beside him. Eventually, he thought, wasn't going to come anytime soon. "All right. Clearly I could use some help."

"I've only known you to break out the cocktail olives when you're frustrated." His vice, developed on long nights doing required algebraic equations at the Academy, had been stuffed green olives- and Melinda was one of few who were aware of the snack choice. "At least you're going to have Skye around to wrangle the olive jars while I'm gone. I'm not leaving you completely helpless."

"She's going to do fine."

"I don't doubt it." Three days of therapy and time to reflect had given Skye a surprisingly determined outlook, one that Coulson had been relieved to see after the difficulties she'd gone through in the past months. "But you're sure you don't need me?"

"I always do." The idea of her taking time off had been one he'd needed his own time to become accustomed to, being a request she'd never made in all of the years they'd spent working together. Even back when her family had been more than S.H.I.E.L.D May had never entertained the idea, and while he knew it was healthy for her to finally put herself first, something inside of him broke at the thought that she might come to her own realizations while she was away. And what those realizations might be...it was the uncertainty of that question that haunted him.

But she'd smiled. Smiled, in the same way she was doing as her hands deftly twisted the lid of the olive jar and she overturned its contents into a blue ceramic bowl on the desk. It was a bright smile he hadn't seen in _years_ , one he remembered from the day she'd met Andrew, from the day she'd announced her decision to try for a baby, and the last time he'd seen it had been while she'd been listening to whatever Agent Hanson had programmed on his iPod.

"Don't worry. I'll be back."

"Andrew may not like-"

" _Andrew_ will be fine." Her smile was soft this time, and May leaned back to support herself against the desk, considering him carefully with the empty jar still in her hand. "It's a different time, Phil. New team, new S.H.I.E.L.D. New me, maybe...if I take this time to get back what I let myself throw away." He hadn't expected the sudden kiss, and found it was almost exactly as he'd imagined it. Slow, sweet, and interrupted all too abruptly as the clink of the jar on the desktop brought him back and Melinda pulled away. "Don't _worry_. Two weeks will be over before you know it."

"I'll see you then." She stepped back and was gone, the taste of cherry chapstick and green tea lingering on his lips long after her footsteps faded in the corridor. Melinda had always harbored feelings he'd barely been aware of, and once they'd become clear he'd thought about acting on his own, letting himself have the chance at being happy in a time of war and upheaval. But now...saying goodbye for even a short time and watching her leave with Andrew made him wonder if he hadn't missed the opportunity to set things in motion that should have long ago seen movement.

Now, he thought, he'd lost her. Maybe not forever, maybe not professionally- but the boundaries she'd talked about were back, possibly stronger than ever. He couldn't cross them, and he knew he'd never try. Because at the moment Melinda was happy, and he owed her the chance at happiness, without his interference.

Two weeks, Coulson realized abruptly, were going to be much longer than he'd ever imagined.

 


End file.
